Former Bihar CM calls on govt to make caste census public

Former Bihar Chief Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha national president, Jitan Ram Manjhi Saturday demanded that the report of the caste census be made public and reservation for all categories be increased in proportion to their population. He also demanded that the cap on reservation ceiling be increased to 90-95 per cent. Replying a query on Parliament approving the 10 per cent reservation to general category poor, Manjhi said that "I am not opposed to the decision of giving quota (10 per cent). I am saying that communities (OBC, EBC, SC and ST) be given their share in the reservation as their rights."

"They have been deprived of their rights in the name of the cap being imposed that reservation can't be increased beyond 50 per cent...OBC which constitutes 54 per cent of the population is being given 27 per cent reservation while Scheduled Caste is being given 15 per cent quota benefit against their 30 per cent population," he said. Parliament on Wednesday had approved amending the Constitution to provide 10 per cent reservation to general category poor in jobs and education. The quota will be over and above the existing 50 per cent reservation to SCs, STs and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

"When you (Centre) have raised the quota limit from 50 per cent to 60 per cent), then you (Centre) should have raised it to 90-95 per cent in order to give every community their due as per their population...What is the problem in making the report of caste census public? They should make it public," Manjhi said. Asked to comment that Congress has not been included in SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh for the 2019 Lok Sabha election, he said that if they (SP-BSP) neglect Congress in UP, then they may have to "face loss as BJP may be able to gain of it."

(With inputs from agencies.)